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Insufficient computer skills are among the most critical barriers to the use of online education.

Older learners prefer the traditional educational methods

Poorly designed online education programs negatively affect the way online education is received.

Lack of human interaction, unavailability of high speed internet, lack of socialization were found to be barriers to medical staff.

Purpose of the Study Organization in Saudi Arabia, in Adopting Effective Online Staff Development Programs

To assess the extent of readiness this organization has regarding the use of effective online staff development programs.

To assess the administration’s support and beliefs about e-learning.

To assess the instructors’ skills and attitudes towards online education.

To discuss and analyze the employees’ readiness for effective online education by assessing their access to technology, motivation towards participating in online education and their attitudes towards online education.

Tertiary healthcare organizations are funded by the government and online education is an effective utilization of financial resources.

Many studies were conducted to assess the readiness of Saudi universities to utilize online education. However, this study is among the first to investigate healthcare organizations’ readiness to adopt e-learning.

Research Questions Organization in Saudi Arabia, in Adopting Effective Online Staff Development Programs

What are the learners’ strengths related to their readiness for online education?

What are the learners’ weaknesses related to their readiness for online education?

What are the relationships between selected learners’ demographic variables (occupation, age, gender, nationality, years of experience and educational level) and their online skills and relationships, motivation and internet discussion abilities?

What is the relationship between learners’ past experiences with online education and their motivation towards e-learning?

What are the relationships between selected instructors’ demographic variables (age, gender, years of teaching experience, and country of graduation) and their attitudes toward using online continuing education?

What are the attitudes of the administration toward the provision of online continuing education?

Target Population Organization in Saudi Arabia, in Adopting Effective Online Staff Development Programs

Administrators at the academic affairs should develop educational strategies with clear educational objectives in order to evaluate the value added by online education in the future.

Administrators should develop policies for online education that include instructors’ competencies in online education, accreditation of online courses from local and international authorities, equivalency of online credit hours and other policies regarding the international collaboration.

Policies for compensating instructors for online education should also be developed.

Administrators should also consider training current instructors in online education and prepare them for a different method of education.

Administrators should design and build an online educational center. This educational center should be of great benefit to the organization’s internal and external customers as well as other local Ministry of Health’s hospitals and primary clinics.

The medical library should support scholarly professional journals and monographs in the area of online education, instructional design, instructional strategies and delivery, performance improvement, competency development, and evaluation.

10. Authorities should consider launching a marketing campaign to change perception of online instruction and eventually to recognize it as a viable option to other more traditional routes to learning, certification, and licensure.